How to Know When You Are Off Track

Client service is the lifeblood of any healthy practice and should always be our first priority. But it's all too easy to become consumed by the deluge of emails and deadlines that define our frantic days. When we finally lift up our heads to reflect on our progress, we realize that we have been productive but not particularly strategic. We have spent too little time on our game plan, and we have allowed key relationships to stagnate.

Personally, I know when I have been guilty of this just by looking at my whiteboard. It hangs directly in front of me on the wall of my office, divided into 4 sections, listing my goals and targets by year, quarter, week, and day. If I don't update it regularly, the outdated goals reflect my neglect. I type countless words every day into the various applications on my computer, but it's the cursive on my wall that tells me whether I'm on track.

Perhaps you have a similar tell that alerts you when you've been too focused on short-term affairs:

• An outdated business plan
• A neglected coach or mentor
• An insane number of hours billed
• Or just a feeling in your gut that it's time to revisit the bigger picture

Whatever it is, pay attention when it reminds you that a thriving practice requires both a keen eye on client projects and a long-term view of the strategic growth of your business.

Authored by David Ackert